1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an equine hoof boot assembly for outfitting an equine hoof or similar other anatomical structure having a relatively hard, keratinized, but expandable outer wall with a relatively soft tissue-lined, wall-protected cavity. More particularly, the present invention relates to a boot for outfitting an equine hoof or structure of similar form and function with a primary goal being the therapeutic treatment thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is not uncommon for a horse to develop an abscess on any of its hooves. Common methods for remedying hoof abscesses include drilling a hole into the hoof which then must usually be packed and soaked. To soak a horse hoof, farriers often recommend that horse care takers purchase any number of hoof-soaking boots, such as the so-called “EZ” brand boot or the DAVIS brand boot. The primary problem with these types of boots is that they often irritate the coronary band, the growing band of the hoof. Horses then often develop a secondary infection, which secondary infection then requires further treatment(s).
Equines frequently stand in mud and human caretakers must often do the same. Human caretakers in such situations, however, often don their shoes with some type of prior art galosh or rubber as a means to protect their shoes. During such an episode, the author contemplated that if a horse hoof could be outfitted with a galosh or similar other overshoe or boot constructed and formed to be properly outfitted upon a horse hoof, the use of awkward, clumsy soaking boots that often lead to secondary infections of the coronary band could be eliminated. Notably, secondary infections of the coronary band can lead to malformations in the hoof as it grows or dynamically develops. Further, it is notable that the coronary band is essentially that boundary between soft tissue and hard tissue, similar to the cuticle on a human phalange. Just as an injured cuticle results in the malformation or other disruption to the human fingernail, so too does an injured coronary band result in disruption to the hoof wall.
It is further noted that, as donned upon many horses, the visual appearance of a typical therapeutic hoof boot is often less than desirable. If the aforementioned horse galosh or horse boot could be made from inexpensive materials, but structured so as to more effectually outfit a horse hoof, any number of color combinations could be easily incorporated into the design as a means to enhance the visual appearance of the therapeutic hoof boot assembly or otherwise ornamentally outfit the horse hoof. For example, show horses are often ornamented with various riding colors. If a user were desirous of outfitting her show horse with hot pink colors, hot pink hoof boots could be provided for both ornamenting the horse's hooves as well as providing therapeutic treatment therefor, if ever required. A search into the state of the art reveals, however, that a number of articles attachable to an equine hoof are known in the prior art. Some of the more pertinent prior art relating to equine hoof boots and the like is briefly described, hereinafter.
U.S. Pat. No. 601,541 ('541 patent), which issued to Anderson, discloses a Horseshoe. The '541 patent teaches a rubber base ring having a central open portion and recessed on its upper, rear portion for the reception of the frog of the hoof, and a slitted rubber hoof band or envelope provided with fastening means. Notably, the '541 patent teaches an elastic hoof-receiving/protecting device sized and shaped to lie in inferior adjacency to the coronal band of the distal portion of an equine limb.
U.S. Pat. No. 609,551 ('551 patent), which issued to Lang, discloses a Non-Slipping Horseshoe. The '551 patent teaches an adjustable horse shoe or boot having a sole consisting of a sheet of flexible material provided with a slot or recess which extends forwardly from the rear edge of the sole and terminates at a distance from the toe or front edge thereof, dividing the sole into two adjustable sections which are connected by the unrecessed front portion of the sole and which can be expanded or contracted for varying the size of the horse shoe and an upper extending upwardly from the edge of said sole. Notably, the '551 patent teaches an elastic hoof-receiving/protecting device sized and shaped to lie in inferior adjacency to the coronal band of the distal portion of an equine limb.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,041,538 ('538 patent), which issued to Gash et al., discloses a Horseshoe. The '538 patent teaches a horseshoe comprises of a resilient material such as rubber and is either molded or shaped so that on being attached to the hoof of the horse by any suitable means the resilient material conforms to the external contour of the hoof and is retained in position thereon without fastening means formed separately from the shoe. The upper end of the horseshoe terminates below the fetlock of the horse. U.S. Pat. No. 3,236,310 ('310 patent), which issued to Quick, discloses a Self-Fitting Boot Type Horse Shoe. The '310 patent teaches a hoof boot that is form-fitted to the hoof of a horse by heat shrinking the materials used. Notably, the '310 patent teaches an elastic hoof-receiving/protecting device sized and shaped to lie in inferior adjacency to the coronal band of the distal portion of an equine limb.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,611 ('611 patent), which issued to Smahl et al., discloses a Horse Shoe Cassette System. The '611 patent teaches a horse shoe cassette system for an animal's hoof. The cassette system comprises a plurality of hollow holders that are screwed into the hoof. Each holder has a threaded outside surface and a threaded inside opening defined therein. A flexible covering, of a general hollow ungulate shape to fit an ungulate's hoof, has a bottom plate that includes a first opening defined therein. A horse shoe is attached to the bottom plate of the flexible covering and the horse shoe has a second opening. A threaded screw member extends through the first and second openings and is screwed into the threaded inside opening of the holder disposed in the hoof. Noting the flexibility in the device of the '611 patent, it may be further noted that U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,189,004; 4,503,914; 5,588,288; 6,516,594; and United States Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0167739 all further teach flexible hoof-receiving or hoof-protecting devices of various types.
It may be seen from a further review of the above-referenced disclosures and other prior art generally known to exist that the prior art does not teach a low cost hoof boot for outfitting an equine hoof or similar other anatomical structure, which hoof boot comprises an elastic skin or casing and a medicated viscoelastic core or inner medium for periodically filling the dynamically-changing solar concavity of the equine hoof via creep action during cyclic loading. The prior art thus perceives a need for a low cost hoof boot or galosh of the foregoing type as a means to outfit and selectively treat a hoof.